English 11 sem 1 wk 3 Independent Studies

In the story, Growing up Asian in America, The author’s feelings of being “less than” and “alien” are grounded in

• the strong connection that she has to her Japanese heritage

• the fact that she looks different from black or white Americans.

• her parents’ strong work ethic and sense of community

• questioning her status as a United States citizen

The shrine that the author visits is important to her because

• her family in Japan has been connected with it for generations

• it reminds her of New Hampshire, where she grew up.

• she is able to practice her Shinto religion there

• its festivals are unlike anything she has experienced in America

the author reacts to her uncle’s anger with amusement and affection probably because she:

• recognizes how difficult it is to farm the land.

• knows he is overreacting because the tractors can still get by her car

• feels glad her uncle does not fit the stereotype of being weak or passive

• rarely sees members of her family so angry

the author writes that “our neighbor is so much a part of our family that my mother never passes her house at night without glancing at the lights to see if she is home and safe.” Why does she explain this relationship?

• to show that her family has good neighbors

• to prove that her mother is a kind and caring neighbor

• to demonstrate that they are now an accepted part of the community

• to show that she is no longer angry about injustices during the war

When the author points out that her “mother is a woman who speaks with her life as much as with her tongue,” she means that:

• she has lived a long and difficult life as a Japanese American woman

• she communicates her values through the things she does

• her identity as a Japanese American influences her words and actions.

• she does not express herself well verbally, relying instead on gestures

The reader can infer that the author did not look to her own mother as a role model because she

• did not like her mother

• sought role models who were not asian

• thought her mother was weak

• had more respect for her grandmother

Who shuts the door in “The Soul selects her own Society”?

• the chariots

• her divine majority

• an emperor

• the soul

In the story, Against Nature, What did the author realize as she lay on the ground trying to slow her heart rate

• Her rapid heart rate was a result of her breathing rate

• Her sense of herself as separate from nature was an illusion

• Her life was fragile and full of unexpected twists.

• She would have to fight against nature if she hoped to survive

Which detail helps illustrate the author’s point that nature provides no link to spiritual truth?

• “And the lovely blue isn’t even blue, is it? isn’t even there, is it?

• “To keep in motion is to keep in time, and to be stopped, stilled, is to be abruptly out of time. . . .”

• “Or, from another angle of vision, one vast democratic grave.”

• “The raccoon, mad with rabies, frothing at the mouth and tearing at his own belly with his teeth....”

What is autonomy?

• selfishness

• helplessness

• independence

• self knowledge